The scene is set: in this old house, with a garden and terrace for sunny days, and right in front of a private parking lot, the atmosphere is autumnal: white walls, wooded floor, furniture in yellow and blue tones. Each table is in its own space, without it being too noisy.
In terms of cuisine, the menu follows the seasons. “It will change every 3-4 weeks”explains Lucas. “We use luxury products, but for vegetables it’s local: from Ham-sur-Heure directly or from Wallonia.” The chefs visited the Bergerie, the Château de Namur, the Villa Lorraine for Lucas, Bossimé in Namur for Maxime. Not forgetting Tribeca, a few hundred meters away, where they both worked together before opening their store at the end of October.
After the appetizer – an artisanal fish pudding and a homemade tomato focaccia, tender as can be – we started with a non-alcoholic cocktail, based on Bertinchamps with passion fruit, with a dash of lime and some cane sugar.
For the starter, the chef offered his scallops with white butter. They were tender, cooked to perfection, with bits of hazelnut for crunch, fresh herbs for acidity and discreet but tasty salsify. A Sicilian white, slightly acidic, stood out from the plate.
In terms of the dish, the chef suggested doe. Accompanied by cranberries, pears and small potato croquettes, all topped with a delicate wine sauce. The mixture of game, rare, and the sweetness of cranberries (but especially pears, delicious!) is successful: the end of the year a little in advance on our plate.
The wine list is extensive. Mainly French references, including a nice selection of Côtes-Du-Rhône in the reds, but a few entries from Sicily. The prices remain reasonable, between 30 and 70 euros per bottle, for beautiful labels.
Price levels, lunch is around €40. We left without feeling hungry, the chefs know what they are doing. For a complete evening menu, it is currently set at €65 (+€22 to accompany wines selected by the team). In the price range, therefore.
Practical information:
- Luma, 20 rue des Écoles in Ham-sur-Heure-Nalinnes
- Telephone: + 32 71/521.621/Website: https://www.luma-nalinnes.be/
- Closed Sunday and Monday/Tuesday and Saturday from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m./Wednesday to Friday from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
